Everglades Project Wins Science Prize

June 16, 1999|By NICOLE SERVICE Special to the Sun-Sentinel

COOPER CITY — Natalie Bentollia is already known in the scientific world.

Thanks to her yearlong project on the effects of high phosphorus levels in the Everglades, the 16-year-old Cooper City girl won second place in the national Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition, the world's most prestigious water science prize for youth.

Bentollia's was one of 26 projects entered in the competition held May 7 in Philadelphia. Only five received awards.

Bentollia's project looked at the level of phosphorus, a nonmetallic element in the nitrogen family, in four locations -- three in Everglades National Park and one in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. She studied the damage high levels of phosphorus does to plant life and calculated an acceptable level that would be beneficial to all.

While she knew the information very well, Bentollia said she was still overwhelmed when she went to the competition.

"I was surrounded by a group of judges who were scribbling and taking down everything I said," the Cooper City High School sophomore said. "They told me not to worry and just ignore them, but it was pretty hard to do when they were taking down everything I said.

"When I was told about the honorable mention, I was glad, grateful to be included. But when I learned how prestigious it was, even though I didn't win, I was really honored."

Her friend and teacher, Doug Ferraro, said in so many ways Bentollia is a unique student.

"She makes straight A's and she is first in her class," he said. "I have had a lot of students with talents similar to Natalie's, but very few with the same drive and dedication. She is going to go far."

Bentollia said that with Ferraro's help she will go far. From the first day she met him, she knew he would have an impact on her life.

They first met three years ago when Ferraro, who runs a science program at Cooper City High, visited Bentollia's middle school to recruit students.

After he left, Bentollia told her friends: `'I just met the man who is going to change my life. He is going to help me get to where I want to go.''

Ferraro was the man who introduced Bentollia to environmentalist Ronald Jones, who got her started on the Everglades project. Jones, a professor at Florida International University, leads a group of scientists who are studying the Everglades.

Introducing Bentollia to Jones was part of his job, Ferraro said.

"Natalie saw something about him [Jones] and came to me," Ferraro said. "We contacted him and he was more than willing to help. Natalie is the only high school student in the group.

"He [Jones] was a bit hesitant and warned that she would spend most of her time unsupervised and that there would be a lot of work. It seems she has more than proven herself. She is a unique student."

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition isn't the only competition in which Bentollia has taken top awards.

Her list of accomplishments includes a first place at the Broward County Youth Fair, a first place at the Innovation Zone Fair and another first place at the Broward County Science Fair.

Bentollia plans to spend her summer on her Everglades project. She even turned down a trip to a rain forest so she could continue with her studies.

"I want to get into it a little more," she said. "I want to study the effect of phosphorus on animals. I see this as a rare opportunity and I want to continue, and it's a fun project."